Jon Craig

Chief Political Correspondent

After such an unexpected election result, the Commons was in a giddy mood.

Conservative MPs appear to be in a more forgiving mood, however, after the Prime Minister's "May-a-culpa" at the 1922 Committee the previous evening.

They cheered her loudly when she came into the chamber for the election of the Speaker, the first Commons business after any General Election.

But the cheering and clapping was even louder - and lasted longer - for Jeremy Corbyn when he came into the chamber.

What a difference a better-than-expected result can make!

Image:Jeremy Corbyn used Mrs May's election slogans against her when he rose to speak

For the past two years, most Labour MPs have sat sullenly, silently and grim-faced during the Labour leader's often-plodding performances at Prime Minister's Questions and other big set-piece debates.

On the Labour backbenches, the party's MPs were hugging colleagues who they feared would lose their seat in the election.

There was a cheer for Tom Watson, Labour's deputy leader, when he came into the chamber. He gestured to them - not very convincingly - to stop.

There were cheers too for Democratic Unionist Party leader Nigel Dodds when he came in. But no doubt some of those were ironic.

Mr Dodds took his usual place a few rows back beyond the gangway. He and the nine other DUP MPs - the power brokers now - appeared to be present alongside him.

Image:John Bercow laughs as a giddy Commons sits for the first time since the election

At first John Bercow sat on the Conservative benches, a few rows back from the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, wearing a smart blue three-piece suit, bright pink and purple tie.

He waved to his wife Sally, who has caused him some embarrassment at times since he became Speaker in 2009.

Wearing a vivid black and white dress with what looked like a floral pattern, she was in the VIP seats at the back of the chamber, at the opposite end to the Speaker's chair.

On either side of her were the two Bercow children. As well as waving to them, their father blew them kisses.

When Black Rod arrived to summon MPs to the Lords, Ken Clarke - the new Father of the House - led the way.

Mr Clarke has been absent from the Commons since before the Budget in March, having a heart bypass operation. He barely campaigned during the election.

In his victory address in his Rushcliffe constituency on Thursday night, he said he had never campaigned less in a General Election.

But there is real warmth towards him in the Commons and he was cheered when he rose to speak.

Image:Father of the House Ken Clarke has returned to the Commons after a heart bypass

Mr Clarke is less florid in the face than before his illness and he has lost a bit of weight, but he's still not very mobile and rested his hand on the desk as he got in and out of the chair stiffly.

Jeremy Corbyn referred to his former lifestyle in his speech after Mr Bercow's re-election, recalling seeing him eating a bacon sandwich washed down with a pint of strong lager in the Members' Tea Room during a break in a debate on healthy eating in which Mr Clarke was speaking for the Government.

Since his heart bypass, I'm told, this legendary bon viveur has been told by doctors he must have no more than one glass of wine with dinner. No doubt he's also been ordered to cut down on or give up the cigars.

Those Tory MPs who just a few months ago wanted to unseat Speaker Bercow are obviously so deflated by the election result that there wasn't a whisper of dissent when his re-election was put to the vote by Mr Clarke.

Conservative MPs have bigger battles to fight now. And, I'm told, Mr Clarke is friendly with Mr Bercow and was planning to turn a deaf ear to any objections in any case.

Image:John Bercow was dragged to the Speaker's chair after being re-elected

Mr Bercow, typically, didn't need much dragging to the chair, the tradition that dates back to the days when Commons speakers were executed.

Seven times it has happened in the past, he reminded MPs, prompting shouts of "More!" and much laughter.

He was dragged by Labour's Alison McGovern and pushed in the back by former Tory sports minister Helen Grant. (Those two will get called early in the Queen's Speech debate!)

In his acceptance speech, Mr Bercow told MPs he was "a tested Speaker" for "testing times". In the past, he has said he would only do the job for nine years. Not any more.

During the General Election campaign he told Sky News he intended to stay in the job for the whole of this Parliament, which in theory could run until 2022.

Mr Corbyn, however, predicted in his speech congratulating Mr Bercow that this would be a short Parliament.

He also mocked the Prime Minister's election campaign slogans, accusing Mrs May of plotting a "coalition of chaos" with the DUP and claiming Labour could provide "strong and stable government".

Video:Who are the DUP?

The PM, displaying her new contrite, chastened post-election demeanour, had a good joke of her own. Congratulating Mr Bercow, she said: "At least someone got a landslide!"

Almost 24 hours earlier, she had told Conservative MPs at the 1922 Committee: "I got us into this mess and I'm going to get us out of it."

On the evidence of the first Commons sitting since the election, it won't be easy. The giddy mood won't last!